It is occasionally necessary for an individual to apply lotions, creams and similar materials, particularly medicated substances, to the back and other difficult-to-reach areas of the body. Such application, especially to the back, is sometimes a cumbersome, if not impossible, task and usually requires the assistance of another individual. However, in this day, with an ever-increasing singles population and a rise in the number of elderly and handicapped people living alone, there is a need for a device with which this task can be simply and easily accomplished.
The prior art is replete with applicating and dispensing devices for reaching remote areas of the body. In most instances, these devices comprise a handle and an applicating means. U.S. Pat. No. 2,829,393 to Turcotte provides a simple applicating means in the form of a porous pad made from foam rubber, foam plastic or other substantially elastic material, which is fitted over a reservoir. This long-handled sponge has inherent disadvantages, the most significant of which include (1) the waste of lotion or other substance which has been absorbed by the sponge material, (2) regular drying out and stiffening of the sponge material, thereby causing a loss of elasticity, and (3) difficulty in cleaning the sponge for re-use.
Also known are the more complicated applicator devices which comprise a number of components in either or both the handle and applicating means. Two fundamental problems exist with such devices: the numerous parts (1) add to the cost of manufacture and (2) increase the likelihood that one or more parts will fail. U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,283 to Fitjer relates to a device for the application of a liquid or pasty material wherein the applicating means is detachably mounted on a handle and comprises a sealed chamber containing a liquid or pasty material. The handle includes a manually operated release which breaks or punctures the seal of said chamber, thereby releasing the material. A major disadvantage of the Fitjer device is that the sealed chamber containing the liquid or pasty material is manufactured as a separate item, thereby severely limiting the consumer's choice of products. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,636 to Meyer, a suntan lotion applicator is disclosed, said applicator comprising a handle portion which also serves as a supply reservoir, and a dispensing head at the distal end thereof. The dispensing head comprises several parts including a flat application surface which is covered by a compressible porous pad.
Other devices employ a piston-type element to force a lotion or other material from a supply reservoir to an applicating head. U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,527 to Lipfert et al. provides an applicator for pulverized substances wherein said pulverized substances may be forced through perforations in a permeable membrane by a plunger which is advanced by a screwing action. U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,231 to Wiercinski discloses a swivel-up type dispensing package having a feed screw and nut associated with an elevator-like system for advancing towards an applicating surface. In U.S. Pat. No. 850,357 to Doyle, an inflexible rubber head is lubricated with a lotion by means of a piston-type plunger. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,050 to Guglielmo, a flat plate piston is utilized to apply pressure from the reservoir to a dispensing nozzle in hair treatment applications.
Still other types of applicators exist for a wide variety of products, including lotions, inks and shoe pastes, and have different applicating means, such as brushes or combs, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 797,089 to Trimble, 543,200 to Verpiller et al., 1,465,220 to Huether, 4,143,982 to Cox, 4,090,422 to Donley and 2,590,417 to Jardines.
All of the prior art applicator devices have several limitations or disadvantages associated therewith, including (a) the waste of lotion, (b) difficulty in use and cleaning of the various elements and (c) too many components, which increases manufacturing costs and the probability that one or more element will fail.
Despite the teachings of the prior art, a need still exists for an uncomplicated applicating device which has a simplicity of construction, is inexpensive to manufacture, is simple and easy to use and clean, and which controls the amount of lotion or similar material to be applied.